Every one of us can make a difference in children's lives

Dec. 8, 2012

Written by

Roseann

BENTLEY

Many thanks for the Every Child series of reports in the News-Leader. They certainly give us cause to wonder why a mid-size, Midwest city in the Bible Belt of the country seems to be so bipolar.

As a county commissioner, I have become all too familiar with the numbers of children removed from their homes due to abuse and neglect. A year and a half ago, Greene County stood at 1,000 children in the care of the family courts. We are down to 830 cases and are working hard to reduce the number of children living in distress. Our numbers are among the highest in the state.

We also struggle to understand the drug culture that is filling our county jail with more prisoners than we can handle. Cocaine and marijuana seem to have been replaced by misuse of prescription drugs such as Oxycontin and hydrocodone. Not to mention the awful meth epidemic!

A third negative has been the very rough economic recession, which has put more than 50 percent of our elementary students living below the poverty line.

This stark and dire picture of the community so many of us love so much is hard to fathom. We can document the rising cost of these problems but, on the other hand, government and the “nanny state” are not the only answer. That is why it’s so essential to have nonprofit, charitable resources and volunteers.

We know that we are a prosperous, growing and vibrant county. We know that the many generous churches spread throughout our neighborhoods have wonderful volunteer programs. Just look at James River Assembly members coming in and painting all of Pittman Middle School.

Care to Learn has done an incredible job of providing badly needed assistance for health, hygiene and clothing in our public schools. Our PTA clothing bank has been in existence for many years.

Our United Way broke all previous records for its campaign this year, coming in at almost $4 million. Its 20 agencies see and help so many of the children and families I have mentioned.

The Rare Breed for homeless teens, Isabel’s House and The Kitchen provide incredible assistance.

The Community Partnership of the Ozarks brings together early childhood efforts that are critical for early brain development.

The Council of Churches of the Ozarks gathers resources of many churches and provides a safe place to sleep for homeless women, as well as the Ambassadors for Children efforts.

And yet, there are miles to go before these numbers and horrendous problems will change.

If each of us chooses a way we can help even one person, we can overcome these statistics and change a child’s life forever. In the famous exhortation of John Wesley:

Do all the good you can.

By all the means you can.

In all the ways you can,

In all the places you can,

As long as ever you can.

And in helping even in a small way, you will also feel yourself change. Recent surveys prove that the most lasting satisfaction in life comes from helping another.